Mail box



J. A. ALMS April 26, 1927.

MAIL BOX Filed May 4, 1926 PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN' A. ALMS,' OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI.

MAIL BOX.

Appncation sied May 4, 192s. serial No. 106,744.

This invention relates to mail boxes and more particularly to the typeof receiving box used on rural mail delivery routes.

An in'iportaiit object of ,the invent on 'is to provide a mail boxhaving a suitable signal associated therewith to indicate whether inailis contained in the box.

A further object is to provide a mail box having a signal associatedtherewith and adapted to be automatically moved to inoperative positionwhen the box is opened. A further object is to provide a mail box havinga signal which may be manually moved to operative position and held insuch position by mechanism associated with the door of the box, the doorbeing* adapted to automatically return the signal to inoperativeposition when it isopened.

A further object is to provide a novel form of letter slot` and closuretherefor in the door of the box.

A further object is to provide means within b `Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of the mail Figure 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectionalview,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the box,

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1, and,

Figure 5 is a similar view on line 5- -5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1() designates the box as a wholewhich may be formed. of any suitable material suoli as sheet metal. Thebox is provided with side walls 11 and a preferably curved top wall 12connected therewith. The box is also provided with a preferably flatbottom 13, as shown in Figure 4.

As shown in Figure 2, the rear end of the box is closed by an end wall14 while the forward end is open and adapted to be normally closed by adoor 15. The side walls of the box are provided with depending ears 16cooperating with ears 17 carried by the door 15 to receive bolts or thelike 18 to pivotally support the door. rlhe door 15 may be die cast orotherwise formedand preferably includes an integral flange 19 which isadapted to receive the forward edges of the top and side walls toexclude wat-er, dust and the like.

The door 15 is provided at one side with a rearwardly extending plateor" operating member 20 arranged in proximity and parallel to theadjacent side wall 11. The plate is provided with a recess 21 having arear-v bottoiirshoulder 22, as shown in Figures 1 the box, as shown.'lhe arm 25 is provided 4 with an elongated slot 27, and a screw 28 textends `through this slot and into the side wall of the box to supportthe signal in position. The screw 28 acts a pivot pin, and it will beobvious that the signal arm is adapted to swing 1n a vertical planeagainstA the side of the mail box and is adapted to slide longitudinallyby virtue of the arrangement of the screw 28 in the slot 27. The signalis shown in operative position in solid lines in Figure 1, and ininoperative position in dotted lines. Obviously the signal is arrangedsubstantially horizontal when in its inoperative position and is adaptedto be supported against downward movement by a lug or stop member 29spot-welded or otherwise secured against the side wall of the box. Theplate 20 is provided with an outstanding lug 30 adjacent its upper edgeto insure movement of the signal rearwardly to inoperative position, ina manner to be described.

As previously stated, the door is pivotally connected to the boX and isladapted to swing downwardly to open position as shown in i Figure 3. Thedoor is provided with a lug 31 near its upper edge adapted to be engagedby a suitable latch 32 which may be spot-welded or otherwise secured tothe top of the mail box. The door 15 is provided -witli an opening 33 topermit small articles of mail such as letters to be inserted in the box.This slot or opening is normally closed by a flat cover 34 whichsubstantially fills the opening, and is provided with a dependingportion 35 acting as weight means normall lkeeping the Hap in'closedposition: A plvot pin 36 is secured avainst the rear faceof the flap 34b soldering or Welding and this pin extends eyond the end s of theopening as clearly shown in Figure a. '.lhe flap 34 is lplaced inposition and the pin 36 is then secured thereagainst, thus permanentlysecuring the flap 3ft against removal from the door. It will be apparentthat the pin 36 is not mounted in any pivot opening but merely engagesthe inner face or' the door.

When particularly flat letters are arranged in the bottom of a box it issometimes duticult to remove them. In Figures 2 rand l of the drawings Ihave shown means for facilitating the removal of letters from the box.As shown, a relatively thiol; plate 3T is ar `anged against the bottomof the box nearthc forward edge thereof. A plate 31% is provided at itsforward edge with a pin 39 whereby the plate pi votally connected to theplate 37. The plate 3S is provided with a linger piece 4() whereby itmay be swung to vertical position. as indirated in dotted lilies inFigure 2. lt will be apparent that mail inserted in the box when theplate 38 is in raised position will be supported at its rear end uponthe bottom of the. box and at its forward end upon the upper edge ol theplate 3S, as shown at 41 in Figure 2.

The operation of the device is s s follows: lVhen there is no mail inthe box, the signal is arranged in the dotted line position shown inFigure l. When a carrier desires to insert small articles such asletters, these may be pushed through the opening 253, the pressureexerted by inserting the letters raising the depending portion 35 ott'the flap, causing the latter to open. Obviously larger articles may beplaced in the box by rcleasing the. latch 3Q and opening the door. Mailalso may be placed in the box for collection by following the sameprocedure and when thereis mail within the box it is desired to give asignal either to the postulan for eollection or to the owner of the box.The

signal may he placed in operative posit-ion merely by raising the freeend of the arm 25 to vertical position and permitting it to slidedownwardly to the position shown in Figure 5 with the lower end of thearm 25 arranged in the recess portion Q4. When the door is opened toremove the mail it will-be apparent that the lower end ot the arm willbe swung forwardly and as the lower end of the arm is released from therecess 2l, the signal will assume a horifvzontal position. lVhen thedoor is subsequently closed, thel lug will engage the forward end of thearm when it is in horizontal4 position to moveA it rearwardly, as willbe apparent. This action is automatic and accordingly it will be obviousthat opening and closing the door for the purpose of removing mail willautomatically return the signal to inoperative position. With the lowerend of the signal arm arranged in the recess 24, however, it will beapparent that the door is adapted to maintain the' signal in operativepos1tion until the door is opened.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangeu'ient of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit lot' the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

l. A device of the character described comprising a box having a sidewall and an open forward end, a door hinged at its lower edge to saidbox and normally closing the open end thereof, a signal arm arrangedagainst the side wall of said box and provided with an elongated slot, apivot pin arranged in said slot and secured to said side wall, saidsignal arm being adapted to assume a vertical operative position withthe lower end thereof projecting asubstantial distante beneath saidpivot pin, and an operating member carried by said door and providedwith a vertically extending recess adapted to receive the lower end ofsaid signal arm when the .latter-is in operative position, said recesshaving a rear wall adapted to engage the lower end of said signal arm toswing the upper end thereof rearwardly away from operative position whensaid door is opened.

2. A device constructed in accordance with claim il provided with meansfor limiting the dmvnward movement of said signal arm away fromoperative position.

3. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1 provided with a lugcarried by said side wall rearwardly of and substantially in horizontalalinement with said pivot pin, said operating member having a portionadapted to engage the lower end of said signal member to slideitrearwardly when said door is closed.

4. A device of the character described eoinprising a box having an openend, a door normally 'closing said open end and pivotally connected tosaid box, said door being provided with a letter slot, a member normallyclosing said slot and provided with a depending portion arrangedoutwardly of said door and adapted to normally hold said .member-inclosing position, and a pin carried by said member, said pin beingarranged adjacent the lower portion of said slot and projecting beyondthe ends of said member and contacting with the inner face of said door.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

. JOHN a. ALMS.

